In case you missed my semi-incoherent flailing on Friday, A Wounded Name officially has a cover- and it’s been unveiled!

The cover and flap copy are over at Shelvers Anonymous, and a HUGE thank you to Shelver for hosting me.

The full jacket, a clip of my editor reading from Hamlet, and an AWESOME giveaway with every debut novel the Lab has published (guys, the Lab puts out some pretty awesome books, you REALLY want to enter this!) is over at the Carolrhoda Lab blog, so definitely check that out, because guys, seriously, LOTS OF AWESOME BOOKS.

But just in case you don’t have time to link away, I’ve got the cover down below the break.

Because in all seriousness, I LOVE this cover. And not just because it’s gorgeous (though it is) but because it perfectly encapsulates Ophelia and her story. Ophelia has become this kind of iconic image in our societal language- we automatically think of Waterhouse paintings and contentedly drowning girls with flowers in their hands and hair, and to us, that defines Ophelia as much as black clothes and a skull define Hamlet.

But there was a moment before that.

And that’s the story in A Wounded Name, the story of a moment of endless potiential where Ophelia could avoid the water entirely, could jump in and fall, or- for a single, paralyzing breath- there’s the possibility that she could step out onto the surface of the water- and walk.

Or dance, or run, or whatever. In the moment before something happens, the possibilities are endless.

And that’s exactly what this cover shows.

Massive congratulations and much gratitude to jacket designer Emily Harris, photographer Brooke Shaden, and model Katie Johnson for such an incredible photo.

But there’s something else, too, something that the cover image alone doesn’t show, that can be a little hard to read on the full jacket display.

And that’s blurbs.

Having Editor Andrew tell me the book was going out for blurbs was one of the more terrifying moments of my life. Until that point, I still felt very sheltered and protected. For some reason, having it to go out to editors for submission was less frightening. Seriously. I think- and this is just a theory- that it has something to do with fangirl awe. If all goes well, we don’t really see the editor in the final product (unless you’ve read everything that editor has ever touched and recognize the fingerprints, but that’s a different matter). A good editor brings the author’s voice into full strength, so when we read a really good book, we tend to only think about the author, not all the other people who went into making it something extraordinary (this is not discounting the author, but it is definitely a collaborative effort; anyone who tells you otherwise is either deluding his/herself or just plain clueless). Editors are people who are supposed to see the not-as-polished-as-it-can-be product. We send them our best, and they help us make it better.

But other authors…when you’ve read and LOVED books by the authors who are going to be reading your book and deciding whether or not to say something about it, it’s terrifying. It’s the ultimate fangirl freak-out of OMIGOD WHAT DO I DO when you get to meet your heroes.

What came out of that process was amazing.

Tessa Gratton, author of Blood Magic, Blood Keeper, the forthcoming United States of Asgard series, and contributor to The Curiosities, had this to say:

“Madness, passion, gorgeous word-play, and the inexorable spiral into tragedy; A Wounded Name embodies everything I love from Hamlet.”

And Victoria Schwab, author of The Near Witch, The Archived, and the forthcoming Vicious said this:

“At once strange and wonderful, sensual and gripping, A Wounded Name invades the mind like madness. Hutchison’s lush, atmospheric prose and taut storytelling breathe new life into this classic play.”

These blurbs were gifts, truly (in fact, Victoria’s arrived at about one o’clock Christmas morning. Try sleeping after that, right?). Most writers are neurotic creatures, and even when we try really, really hard not to be needy, validation in the form of someone loving what we create is amazing.

Today’s the day! Head on over to Shelvers Anonymous to see the ABSOLUTELY FANTABULOUS cover Carolrhoda Lab gave A Wounded Name!

And then, if you’re feeling very brave, head over to the Lab to see my editor reading aloud from Hamlet (it’s funnier than I think he intended it to be), and find out how YOU can find a whole BOX FULL OF DEBUT ARCs from Carolrhoda Lab!

There’s also a second cover reveal happening at the lab, and oh wow, I think I want to marry the entire Lab design team.